Ebisu, Meguro & Around
Mismatched furniture and ‘found’ objects conspire to make this cafe look like something the Lost Boys of Peter Pan may have thrown together. The menu is…
Must-see restaurants in Tokyo
Harajuku & Aoyama
Each month this restaurant focuses on a particular country's breakfast tradition, from Indian idli (fermented rice and lentil cakes) to Brazilian pão de…
Asakusa & Sumida River
This tiny place has a real old Edo flavour and is an unpretentious unagi (eel) restaurant. The menu is simple: a ‘small’ gets you two slices of charcoal…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Come sample the elegantly thin noodles, silky chāshū (roast pork) and righteous karashi takana (hot pickled greens) for which Kyūshū-style ramen is famous…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
In Shin-Ōkubo's Koreatown, Shin-chan specialises in spicy Korean-style fried chicken, sold by the half (from ¥1400) or whole (¥2485) bird. There's a…
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
Hibiki has big picture windows overlooking Tokyo Bay and Rainbow Bridge. It is a chain, but it's a reliable one. The lunch set, which includes a main,…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Huge bowls of udon (thick white wheat noodles) are the speciality here. Go for simple (topped with seaweed or pickled plum), exotic (udon carbonara) or…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Curry rice is Japan's version of baked beans on toast – a comfort food beloved of nearly all Japanese. This neatly designed outlet, tucked under the…
Tokyo
Occupying a faithful replica of the bank that once operated here, Cafe 1894 has vaulted ceilings and handsome woodwork as well as a tempting menu of well…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
This super-slick offering is themed on the speakeasies of the US Prohibition era. Dine on the likes of wagyū steaks, burger sliders or gnocchi Gorgonzola…
Tokyo
This restaurant serves uninspired Thai food in an inspired setting: a terrace on the edge of Inokashira-kōen. You can also just stop in for a Thai iced…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
This is one of Tokyo's better kaiten-sushi (conveyor-belt sushi restaurants), with fish sourced daily from the fish market in Numazu (south of Tokyo on…
Ebisu, Meguro & Around
This street stall dishes out steaming hot tako-yaki (grilled octopus dumplings) and it's clearly got a following: check out the celebrity signatures on…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Long known for its generous, exceedingly reasonable sushi sets, Sushi-no-Midori is perhaps now a little too well-known: long waits are common during peak…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
This is a cosy branch of the izakaya (Japanese pub-eatery) that specialises in using a straw-burning flame grill to prepare Tosa-ryōri, the food of Kōchi…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
The Pink Cow has occupied several locations across Tokyo since its launch in 2000 – this is the latest. What has remained consistent is its good-value…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Gone too long without a hummus fix? Tabela will sort you out, and serve you tagine on the terrace while you watch the comings and goings on Shibuya's hip…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Ruby is among a handful of restaurants and shops that make up Takadanobaba's 'Little Yangon', serving up Burmese classics like mohinga (rice-noodle soup)…
Harajuku & Aoyama
This is Omote-sandō's prime people-watching spot, a Parisian-style cafe with terrace seating. The weekday lunch specials (a croissant sandwich or Niçoise…
Ginza & Tsukiji
Dine surrounded by greenery at this long-established Western-style restaurant in the middle of Hibiya-kōen. It is famous for its steaks and curry buffets…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Traditionally, monaka are wafers filled with sweet bean jam. At this little stand on Nakamise-dōri, they're filled with ice cream instead – in flavours…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
This appealing all-rounder has the day's dining covered with lovely pastries and breads baked on the premises for breakfast through lunch and pizzas…
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
This is a collection of five ramen shops from around Japan, which means you can choose from Sapporo-style miso ramen, Hakata-style tonkotsu (pork bone),…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
The classy French restaurant at Musée Tomo overlooks a lovely garden and has a star-studded ceiling. Between 2pm and 5pm you can have a dessert and drink…
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
Five different stalls dish up variations on tako-yaki (grilled octopus dumplings), a classic street food most famously associated with the city of Osaka…
Ueno & Yanesen
This busy, famous place rustles up top-class soba (buckwheat noodles). There's a picture menu to help you choose. Look for the black-granite sign at the…
Ginza & Tsukiji
Take your pick from 50 different flavours of onigiri (rice balls) at this tiny stall – popular picks include salmon belly and the giant fried prawn…
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
In one of the old Terrade Warehouses on Tennōzu Isle, this bakery sells tasty croissants, muffins and danishes, as well as light lunches of soups and…
Tokyo
Pick up grilled sausages, currywurst and imported beer on your way to Inokashira-kōen, just a block away.
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
This department store attached to Shinjuku Station is a good bet when you're in need of a quick bite and don't want to brave the streets outside…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
A rooftop night market that spans the Asian continent, Asia-yokochō has vendors dishing out everything from Korean bibimbap to Vietnamese pho. It's noisy,…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Pariya's deli counter conveniently serves meals all afternoon. Grab a tray and choose one main, one salad and one side dish (or two salads and a side for…
Harajuku & Aoyama
This large outlet of the health-food chain Natural House has a deli serving (clearly marked) vegetarian bentō (boxed meals) and a fresh-juice counter. You…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Above Odakyū Shinjuku Station (right outside the south exit ticket gates), this youth-oriented department store has a bunch of budget-friendly restaurants…
Kinokuniya International Supermarket
Harajuku & Aoyama
Kinokuniya carries expat lifesavers such as Marmite and peanut butter; crusty, wholegrain bread; and cheeses galore (at a price of course).
